Hesperus
Hesperus is a planet orbiting the star Alpha Centauri B, the oldest of the twin colonies in the Alpha Centauri system but beyond doubt the more valuable to the Federation and SICON. Formerly known as Helghan, the colony was the site of many battles during the Alpha Centauri Wars between the Terran Federation and the Helghan Secessionists of the early 23rd century. Due to deliberate suicidal nuclear detonations by Helghast defenders, much of the surface was turned into a barren irradiated desert, forcing the remaining inhabitants to construct domed artificial habitats to continue their living. Despite subsequent terraforming campaigns to revert the damage, the biosphere of the planet was never hospitable, and after the third Bug War's devastation of large swaths of the Federation at large, further campaigns remain highly unlikely. History Early Colonization period In the aftermath of the anarchy era of the Post-Disorders War, Earth’s resources was near its depleted state, forcing mankind to look to the stars, even after the foundation of the Federation, numerous futile ventures at colonizing Alpha Centauri had been made but its not until the colonization attempt by the Helghan Corporation that led to the Federation’s first foothold in the region. The most fascinating era of the history of the Hesperus colony is its founding, under the name Helghan, it is the first stellar colony of the Federation. The maiden voyage of the Helghan-designed starship Magellan (see page 23) had identified two worlds within the Alpha Centauri system as possible candidates for colonisation, the first, Helghan (later known as Hesperus) had inhospitable environment due to volatile weather and harsh ecosystem that they would require domed habitations or massive environmental reconfigurations, the second planet, later named Vekta (and later renamed to Hod) had more Earth-like characteristics, thus was more suited for long-term colonization and required little to no terraforming measures. Although the second planet was an easier choice, Helghan was chosen as the first colony, named after the Corporation that funded the Federation’s colonization program in the region, established as a frontier world for future mining operations and automated orbital shipyards. For years, it seemed to be a fool’s dream. The great endeavour to build a stellar colony proved even more troublesome than the Federation’s scientists anticipated. Five years past deadline for completion and more than a billion dollars over budget (most of which was paid by Helghan CEO Phillip Vekta’s own treasury) ,Helghan colonisation finally bears fruitful results to Earth, silencing the critics who had proclaimed it an expensive and foolish waste. The construction of Helghan colony was only the first of the challenges the colony had to overcome, however. The second challenge was considerably more alarming and is considered by sociologists to be a cusp event in the history of humanity itself. After the colony was completed, the UCF stationed three of the FSA’s most advanced battleships to stand guard over the new colony, in a move to head off any potential repetition of what happened at Io. The voters at home called it a wasteful overindulgence. In actuality, it was not enough, as the infamous first contact with intelligent alien life unfolded in the skies over the planet only two years after the colony’s opening. Once the immediate threat of the alien vessel was past, Helghan became a relatively peaceful colony. It has not come under attack again in all the centuries since it was founded. Under Federal Administration With any endeavour so monumental as the construction of the first stellar colony, there are certain to be some unforeseen complications. This was observed during the actual construction of the colony, plagued as it was by equipment failures, natural disasters and alarming suicide rates among the workers, which all served to cause the massive delays and costs of construction. Even when the colony was completed, the colonists settled and the alien menace that destroyed the dreadnoughts apparently gone for good, there were still unforeseen problems on Hesperus, internal problems which would later sowed the seeds for future tension between the Federation and the Colonial Administration of the Helghan Corporation, whom soon had come to a belated conclusion that the Federation is ineffective at responding to colonist representative matters and was more paranoid about keeping a tight leash on their colonial’s political and economic influences after the two disastrous famines during their early years under Federal Administration The Helghan Corporation's miners, being Hesperus’ first colonists, were an independent-minded group of people. This is not to say they were political subversives or dissatisfied civilians; their loyalty to the Federation was unshakable. Rather, they were more like the pioneers who colonised the American West centuries earlier, men and women with a thirst for adventure and a confidence in their own self-sufficiency. Such confidence, however, could not make up for the deficiencies in the planet that was their new home. Furthermore, the independence-minded and rebellious nature of the first generation of Hesperians, many of whom descended from the members of the profit-driven Helghan Corporation would soon become one of the many factors which lead to the growing tensions with the Federation and its terrible long-lasting consequences to the planets in the aftermath. The Great Famines of Helghan A decade or so after the colony’s founding, Federal Adminstration’s mismanagement of supplies combined with a series of unforeseen delays in shipments running from the Sol system to Alpha Centauri resulted in a crisis at Helghan, as the colonists’ food stores suddenly and unexpectedly ran out. Records showed there was enough food to sustain the colony for two more months but the records could not argue with the empty storehouses. There was no ship currently at Hesperus to send for aid and no way for the colonists to signal their distress to Earth.Governor of the Region Tomas Leary immediately instituted a rationing programme but it was not enough. As the last of the food stores were consumed, the hungry colonists took to the streets of Hesperus City, rioting against the governor. It was a major failure on the part of the Federation to its population and it resulted in 47 deaths, several hundred injuries and 4.1 million dollars in damage to Pyrrhus City before the UCF transport ship Khyber Pass arrived with what was intended to be a regular restocking supply run. Taking stock of the situation, Captain Elizabeth Clancy of the Khyber Pass offloaded all supplies as quickly as possible and detailed her attachment of Mobile Infantry troopers to the planet to maintain order while she turned her ship around and burned hard back to Sol to inform Earth of the near-catastrophe on Hesperus. Although the Federation immediately moved to rectify the situation and ensure it never happened again, it did. Two years later, a second miscalculation left Hesperus unsupplied and again the colonists began to go hungry. Fortunately, many of the colonists had begun to keep their own stocks of food after the first food riot, which lessened the impact on the colony considerably. However, with two such instances within two years of one another, the UCF government concluded that Governor Tomas Leary was guilty of gross incompetence in the discharge of his duties, relieved him of his position and brought him back to Earth to stand trial, where he was found guilty. Despite this setbacks, Helghan would soon becomes the most vital colony hubs in the region, all thanks to the intensive colonization efforts of the Helghan Corporation, whom now had moved the majority of their assets from Earth to Alpha Centauri for ease of business operations in the region. Helghan Administration A new regional governor was soon elected, the charismatic and populist Helghan Corporation CEO, Henry Vekta, grandson of the long-deceased Phillip Vekta eventually become the man who suceeded Leary’s terms. Under his governance, Helghan found its new lease of life, Henry ensured that food security is a necessity, supplies were tripled ten folds under his new harsh but effective rationing policies, not only that but what Henry had in mind also ensured that the colonies under his governance would not suffer long-terms famine crisis. After the second food riot and the expulsion of Tomas Leary, Governor Henry proposed the Federation to establish an agricultural colony on Helghan neighboring planet. The Federation, realizing it would take years to perfect the current Cherenkov Drives and the charted routes are too long for the scheduled delivery, approved his proposals. The new colony would be christened as Vekta by the corporation and by the colonists, in honor of the goodwills of Henry and the endeavour of his grandfather Philip in the early days of Alpha Centauri colonizations. Henry however would never be able to witness the new Vekta colony prosper as he passed away in an accident while on a survey for rare earth minerals on Vekta a year before the colonization project was complete. During this period, the Helghan Administration was established, to further coordinate governance and internal security between the two planets Vekta and Helghan, the Helghan Administration however was still technically under the umbrella of the Terran Federation’s Government, and the Helghan Militia was also part of the FSA with the Terran officers filling in the ranks of the Helghan militia units. As for the Helghan Corporation, it exists within the Administration and now had mining and trade operation monopolies within the region. The Helghan Administration's taxes on commercial activities and profit from mining operations are poured more and more into the lives of their people, but a large portion of their money is stockpiled for emergency purposes. In 2155, this stockpile reached a level to where the Helghan Administration made a bold offer to the UCF to buy Alpha Centauri and the rights to level taxes and construct a fleet. Due to the UCF was still being financially strapped at the time, this offer was accepted and Alpha Centauri was completely under the control of the Helghan Administration. Under the Helghan Administration, Alpha Centauri went through an economic miracle. It become a vital hub-system that gave the Helghan Administration the taxation ability of all ships going through the system, with significant incomes coming from trade and re-fueling. A policy allowing Alpha Centauri-based companies to be exempt from this tax ends up causing many Sol-based corporations to move to Alpha Centauri, increasing the Helghan Administration's prestige. Around the early 2320s, The shipyards orbiting Helghan also soon become the largest man-made orbital yards, dwarfing the Sol-based shipyards built around the same period With the increasing dominance on trades and minings in the region by the Helghan Administration, the Federation grew concerned and frustrated as the Helghan was blatantly monopolizing the trade routes and the interstellar transportations, of which severely goes against the UCF’s own anti-capitalism policies as well as violating the stellar commerce laws set out by the Federal authorities at the time. When the Helghan Administration refused to loosen their monopolies and abide the laws, the Federation imposed sanctions on Helghan colonies, and barred them from being represented in the Federation Council. In additions, more budgets would be funneled into the militarized FSA fleet in anticipation of a coming war as negotiations broke down between the Helghan authorities and the UCF. Despite repeatedly trying to negotiate multiple times, neither sides can come to an agreeable conclusion, the Helghan Administration refusal to abide Federal’s Laws and the UCF adamant anti-monopoly policies conflicting one another interests,lead to growing tensions between two sides, and by the end of 2240, the Helghan Administration declared secession from the Federation. The First Alpha Centauri War When the Helghan Corporation refused to back down, the Federal Council authorized a full scale invasion fleet to Alpha Centauri in 2241. Formally known as Alpha Centauri War in the media at the time, the Federation main strategic goals aimed to seize control of the trading ports and star routes from the Helghan dominance, which affect the flow of trades between Earth and Alpha Centauri. This event would later be known as the First Alpha Centauri War, or First Extrasolar War in Alpha Centauri colonial history. Around the same year, the Helghan Administration had either expelled or executed all Terran loyalists from the Alpha Centauri system,although successful, the Helghan government soon faced an inevitable fate, their corporate forces and fleet were simply no match for the arriving Terran Fleet. This combined with their past mistreatments and unfavorable deals to many other neighboring Federal systems did not earn them many favors, thus the Alpha Centauri system was left to its own device against the wrath of the Terrans. By the time FSA Fleet arrived Alpha Centauri, they immediately break through the Helghan blockades, securing strategically important star routes and soon, the FSA main fleet was looming over planet Helghan and engaging in a brutal fleet battle there with the Helghan Corporation faster and more nimble torpedo boats. Despite the fierce efforts of the defenders, the much more advanced FSA Rodger Young class Protected Cruisers remained virtually unharmed by the Helghan picket ships. During the battle, the planet’s Orbital Elevator was destroyed by a stray nuclear torpedo, no one knows who fired the shot but both sides blamed one another for it. After gaining total space superiority, the FSA fleet detached into two, one headed for Vekta and the other remained in Helghan to continue bombard it to submission. The FSA fleet easily overwhelmed the remaining orbital defenses on Vekta and demand the Helghan Administration an unconditional surrender. Many Corporate soldiers on Vekta declared to fight on, but after witnessing a ruthless demonstration of orbital bombardment on Vekta,they all surrendered, thus put an end to the first war, and leave an unspoken warning to every other colonies around: To never challenge Federal laws and Terran’s authorities ever again. Interbellum period Postwar, the Helghan Administration is disbanded and the system is put under direct Federation control. The planet Helghan becomes the sanctuary of Helghan remnants who left Vekta to escape Federation occupation beginning in 2244 and ending by 2250. The First Alpha Centari War caused embitterment and hatred towards the Federation amongs the defeated Helghast, coupled with their mass exile to Helghan from Vekta and subsequent Federation economic sanctions. For a decade, the remnants on planet Helghan adapted to the harsh environment in which the second generation of Helghan Administration subjects mutated into the pale-skinned Helghast. By mid 23rd century, the Helghast's hatred of the Federation's Vektan colonists—and most specifically toward the Terrans—for the loss of their original capital ultimately lead to the rise of the dictator Scolar Visari and the subsequent founding of the short-lived fascist state Helghan Empire in the following decade. Birth of the Helghast Between 2250 to 2255, all Helghan Corporation loyalists had voluntarily exiled themselves to the mining colony Helghan in an attempt to avoid persecutions from the Federation. Since the Helghan had paid the war reparations, the Federation no longer interverne with the Helghan remants resettlement to the mining colony, where they are free to govern and rule themselves. In practice, the Helghan colony is still a Federation's member but it would be subjected to naval blockades and economic sanctions for years to come until diplomatic relations could be "normalized". In an attempt to recreate their previous colonization efforts, a new Helghan Administration was once again established, but due to corruption and ineffective governance, this coupled with the harsh environment of Helghan making settlements a challenging task. Initially, the Helghan colonists were ill-suited for the violent biosphere of Helghan, but after two decades, the second generation of Helghan colonists had evolved on the planet with increased biological resistance, with trairs such as pale skins and red eyes, becoming more adaptable to their new homeworld by this time, this new mutated human race was known as the Helghast. Scolar Visari, the future dictator of the Helghan Empire was one of those Helghast hailed from the long lines of managers of Helghan Corporation subsidiaries. Helghan Empire and the 2nd Alpha Centauri War Category:Terran Federation:Contact Category:Planets Category:Background